Our Tribe is Gathering. Will You Be There?

January 14, 2016 | frank

It feels like Christmas all over again here at frank. One of our phenomenal speakers, public interest communications guru Andy Goodman, has called on his tribe of do-gooders, storytellers, communication aficionados and people who want to make an impact, to join us at frank2016.

Eric Schwarz, president of Citizen Schools says “Andy Goodman makes marketing fun! He cuts through the gobbledygook and teaches nonprofit leaders how to tell their stories better. Andy helped Citizen Schools discover our essence and communicate more powerfully, leading to more growth and impact.”

Chip Heath, Co-author of Made To Stick says “Every nonprofit I know has had Andy Goodman give one of his famous storytelling workshops or wants to have him give one. As a result he’s accumulated more frequent-flyer miles than the head of the International Olympic committee. I’m thrilled to hear he’s figured out a way to increase supply to match demand without having to spend more time in airports. Every worthy cause would benefit from one of his message workshops.”

Lawrence Bender, Producer of An Inconvenient Truth says “I was already comfortable at the front of a room, but in just a couple of hours, Andy helped me think differently about the craft of presenting, and I know we walked away better presenters for it.”

We told you he is wonderful. We can’t wait for Andy to share his insights at frank2016. To learn more about his work, check out www.thegoodmancenter.com. Read below Andy’s call to build our tribe.

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Do you use strategic communications to drive social change? Some of the smartest people who do will be gathering at the University of Florida from February 23-26 to compare notes on what’s working, what’s not, and what may be worth trying in the coming year. If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, you should probably be there, too. The frank conference, now in its third year, is a unique gathering of community builders and change-makers that ranks among the most informative, entertaining and inspiring events you can attend – but a trip to Gainesville is by invitation only. To see if frank2016 is right for you (and vice versa), read on.

First, be advised that frank isn’t your typical conference with long keynote speeches, endless panels, and lots of experts talking at you. Each day is neatly divided with time for fast-paced talks by strategists, storytellers and scientists as well as casual opportunities to connect with other sophisticated communicators over coffee or cocktails.

You’ll have a chance to hear talks by (and rub shoulders with) Eileen Boone, who courageously decided to pull tobacco products from CVS stores; Molly Crabapple, whose book “Drawing Blood” about her work as an artist drawing change is lighting up Amazon; Paul Slovic, whose research offers new insight into the power of stories and empathy; and Bryan Boyer, who is developing a “carebot” for NPR that will measure how people respond to stories and act on what they read or hear.

You’ll also become part of an instant community. Every attendee at frank is assigned to a “krewe” – a 20-person team who will become your own local tribe. The conference organizers will introduce you to your krewe before you arrive so even if you don’t know a soul who’s registered, you’ll have a team on-site looking for you. Your krewe will organize events and compete against other krewes throughout the gathering and compete for the coveted Krewe Trophy.

There will also be plenty of fun throughout, including a progressive dinner, an epic lip-sync contest, and regular bursts of poetry from the Get Lit players. The conference organizers have also added a music, film, virtual reality and comedy festival called “Changeville” that will unfold Thursday, February 25 after a street fair in the downtown plaza featuring Rolling Stone magazine’s performer of the year, Charles Bradley.

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To request an invitation, visit the contact page, and we hope to see you in Gainesville next month.